ANDRANIK SQUARE IN MEUDON By Petros Keshishian The French town of Meudon in the south-west of Paris became the first foreign city to have a square bearing the name of the national hero of Armenia Andranik Ozanian, known simply as commander Andranik. Among the people witnessing the historical event were the Armenian ambassador to France Edward Nalbandian, French generals Ferlius and Berrange. Mayor of Meudon, Hervé Marseille, who was conducting the ceremony, presented the life of Andranik, told about his fight against the Ottoman Turks in Western Armenia and then in Bulgaria, about his battle in Van in 1915 and his battles to stop Turks’ invasion in Eastern Armenia in 1918-19. In 1919 Andranik disbanded his army and left Armenia with a group of loyal solders not to be involved in political infighting. In 1922 he settled in Fresno (USA) where he died in 1927. Some months later his remnants were conveyed to Per-Lashez cemetery in Paris and then to Yerablur cemetery in Yerevan in 2000. Ambassador Nalbandian expressed his gratitude to Mr. Marseille noting that "the square is another evidence of the century-long friendship between Armenian and French nations". State anthems of Armenia and France accompanied the ceremony. | 
